Neil Dufty - Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement

The benefits of a combined Disaster ECE approach, although appearing to be conceptually valid, have only been once directly tested through the literature. The research from Kelly and Ronan (2018) proposed that what may be most effective in disaster preparedness is not education or engagement per se, but a combination of the two. The role of social media was additionally considered in this research, given the proposal (Dufty 2012) that social media provides a good platform for a convergence of engagement and educational influences.

The research tested the education and engagement model for disaster preparedness and found that ‘whilst the model was significant, the variables that added unique predictor ability were individual factors rather than a composite of individual, community, and institutional factors as found in previous research’. Also, ‘disaster preparedness messages can be conveyed either by traditional media or social media. There was no difference in whether actions were taken nor was there any difference in confidence and trust in the types of media. Given the low cost of social media campaigns, pending replication of current findings, consideration should be given to its use over traditional media.’

Further research is required to test the effectiveness of a combined ECE approach by emergency agencies and other organisations. However, the approach is promoted in this book due to its promise in providing cumulative benefits.

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